Journal box lid structure



Feb. 6, 1940. T. R. WEBER JOURNAL BOX L ID STRUCTURE Filed 001;. 29, 1938 FIG. 2.-

INVENTOR 7/7e0c/01e FWeZeF 350M AT ORNEY Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Theodore It. Weber, Latrobe, Pa, assignor to American Locomotive .Company, New .York, N. .Y., a corporation of New York Application October '29, 1938, Serial'No. 237,608

6' Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in journal "box lid structures, and more particularly to the pin-tie retaining feature thereof.

-It "is common practice'to provide means on the lid structure to obstruct displacement movement of the pintle. For instancait is common practice to provide atab on the lid which can be bent into the path of the pintle, thus preventing axial movement of the pintle. However, the serious vibration to which journal boxes are exposed often results in this tab being broken off, the pintle then being free to work itself out of the journal box lug. This results in the loss'not only of thepintle, but also of "the lid structure which usuallycomprises the lid, a spring means and a F sheet metal stamping from which the lid of the present invention-is made; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of'the lid partly broken away, and the sup-,

porting pintle, before the auxiliary retainer is bent into place, the boxllug, for convenience, not being shown; Fig. 3 is an end View of the parts shown in Fig. 2, viewed from the right thereof; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view similar to the upper portion of Fig.3, with a portion of the box shown in-dot and dash lines added, the lid being shown in'the position permitting the assemblage of the pintle; -and'-Fig.""5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the lid in the position shown in Fig. "3 and-the auxiliary retainer bent in its active position.

The views of the drawing are shown more or less diagrammatically and 'it will be understood that the lid will be employed in connection with the other'features providing a complete lid struc ture as aforementioned, which may be of any usual or preferred type. As these features per so have nothing to do with the present invention they are not shown. v H

The present invention is confined to the hinged portion of the structure, and only suflicie'nt thereof is shown for a clear understanding of the invention. The'invention is shown in connection however, but maybe used-in connection with the hinge loops of the hood, or :other spring retainer employed with the lid proper, when the hood loops are disposed at the ends of the pintle, as for instance the hood construction of the patent to A. N. Lukens, No. 1,930,650, granted October 17, 1933. And in this regard the claims, unless otherwise restricted, are'to be construed broadly.

The journal box is indicated by the reference numeral A. It has the usual mounting'or lug B provided'with an orifice C forslidably supporting the central portion of the pintle'D. The lid 1 has two spaced hinge loops or eyes/2 having pintlereceiving orifices 3. The hinge loops are positioned one at each side of thebox lug. The lid is shaped froma stamping l,shown in Fig. 1, which has extensions '2 (but one being shown) that are for rollinginto the'hinge loops 2. Each-extension 2 is provided with tabs 4 that are for rolling and bending into the main pintle retainers '4, and tabs 5 that are for rolling and bending into the auxiliary pintle retainers 5.

The portions 2, =4 and '5 are preferably rolled as. aunit into a shape suitable for the pintle they are to-receive. :In the present embodiment the shape 'is'oval, the major axis extending transversely of the lid for a Well-known purpose, but the invention is not limited to such a shape, as will later more'fully'appear. Each rolled unit is identical except that one is right hand and the other left hand. Therefore but one loop and'its retainers will be described.

After rolling the extension 2 into the hinge loop 2, the seam between the edge of the extension 2 and the adjacent part of the stamping l is'preferably welded, and the weld continued between the ext'ension'i and the "side flange 6 formed in thelid l, as is shown at e. The-retainer isbent inward toward the axis of the orifice .3 to partly obstruct the orifice 3,;but leaving an unobstructed space for the free passage of thepi ntle through the orifice 3. The retainer 4 :is'then welded in this position'to the adjacent end of the hinge loopyas is shown at).

The invention' canw'best be understood by a description of the manner of assembling the improved lid with the journal box. The lid is positioned as shown in Fig. :4 with .the unob structed :space and the :orifice 'C inthe lugB in alignment, and the pintle isslid through the unobstructed space into its place through the loops and lug. When the lid is raised from its position shown in 4 to its position shown in;Figs.i2. 3 and-=5, as'will later be more fully described, the unobstructed space is displaced and the main retainerds moved to an active .position. across the end of the pintle to prevent its displacement as shown in these figures. Contrarywise, when the lid is thereafter lowered to the position shown in Fig. 4, the pintle is in a position relative to the space to be withdrawn. By this construction the pintle may be inserted and withdrawn without disturbing the main retainer 4 from its fixed position relative to the loop. When the pintle is assembled, the auxiliary retainer 5 is bent down as shown in Fig. 5, so that it will cross the path of the pintle in either of the aforementioned positions of the lid (lid positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5). All that is required to remove the pintle is to return the auxiliary retainer 5 to its original position and to lower the lid as shown in Fig. 4.

As long as the lid is held in this raised position, the pintle can not become displaced. In actual practice the vibration and hammering to which the journal boxes are subjected is so severe that the lid may often be moved enough to allow the pintle to pass by the retainer 4. It is also possible for the retainer 4 to become damaged, so that it will not function as a proper obstruction for the pintle. Therefore the auxiliary retainer 5 has been added to the lid to act as an obstruction when the retainer 4 fails.

It will be noted, from an inspection of the stamping i (Fig. 1), that the tabs 4 and 5 which form the retainers 4 and 5 respectively are separated from the extension 2 by slits 1 and 8 respectively and that the slit 1 is nearer to the center of the stamping than is the slit 8. This results in the retainer 4 being closer to the end of the pintle D than the retainer 5. The retainer 4 thus serves as the sole pintle displacement preventative means except in instances where it becomes fractured or where, for any reason, such for instance as harsh service conditions, a lid is displaced to the position shown in Fig. 4. In such instances the auxiliary retainer 5 serves to prevent this displacement of the pintle and loss of the lid and the accompanying parts.

The main retainer 4, having to stand the brunt of the severe service conditions, is strengthened and reinforced by the welding, as before mentioned, shown at 1, which fixes it in position so that it cannot be bent to and from active position as are the ordinary retainers and as is the auxiliary retainer in the present instance, which bending back and forth, as occasion requires, tends to weaken the retainer.

For the reason that the auxiliary retainer is spaced from the pintle and is never acted upon by the pintle except in emergency it may be made considerably narrower than the main retainer, and in the present instance is further desirably made narrower in order that its outer end may not unduly extend beyond the portion of the stamping connecting the two retainers.

While the foregoing details of construction of the retainers refer to the preferred embodiment it will be understood, however, that the invention, as aforesaid, is not so limited and that in instances where the two retainers are desired for equal service, the retainer 5 may be disposed adjacent the end of the pintle similar to the retainer 4 so that each will take its share of the service wear. Furthermore, where desired, the welding of the retainer 4 may be dispensed with, and each retainer bent to and from active position, in which case the before-mentioned space providing upward and downward movement of the lid may be dispensed with and the loop shaped as in ordinary practice. In fact, while the loop has been shown as oval or elongated in cross section as is common practice, it may, in any instance, be made circular or otherwise shaped.

The preferred embodiment shows the hinge loops both provided with the double retainers, but as the pintle need only be assembled from one side, only one hinge loop need be so provided. The other hinge loop might, for instance, be completely closed at its end by a solid wall, or the pintle may be provided with a head at the end adjacent the retainers. Reference has been previously made to a lid structure including a spring means and a hood or other spring retainer. A known type of such structure operates to force the lid upwardly against the pintle, and the embodiment shown in the drawing in the present instance is adapted for such a structure, an instance of which is shown in the patent to N. E. Flodin et al. No. 2,126,546, issued August 9, 1938. Where, however, a structure of the type, such for instance as shown in the patent to J. L. Mohun, No. 1,922,597, issued April 15, 1933, operates to force the lid downwardly then in such instances the main and auxiliary retainers will be reversed as to their respective positions and the space before referred to will be appropriately positioned so that to effect assemblage and disassemblage of the pintle the lid will be moved upwardly and downwardly respectively.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that many and various changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of construction thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and that all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated as a part of this invention.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A journal box comprising a pintle support provided with an orifice; a pintle slidably supported in said orifice; a lid structure comprising an eye mounted on said pintle at one side of said pintle support, a main pintle retainer adjacent the outer end of said eye fixed against movement relative to said eye and extending across the adjacent end of said pintle when said eye is in operative position to prevent disassemblage of said pintle through said outer end, said eye being enlarged opposite said retainer to permit said eye to be moved relative to said pintle to an inoperative position to move said retainer away from said end of said pintle whereby said pintle may be disassembled from said box and assembled therewith through said outer end, an auxiliary pintle retainer at said outer end of said eye adapted to be bent across said end of said pintle when said pintle is assembled and to be bent away from said end of said pintle when said pintle is to be disassembled, and another eye mounted on said pintle at the other side of said pintle support; and means preventing the disassemblage of said pintle from the outer end of said other eye.

2. A journal box comprising a pintle support provided with an orifice; a pintle slidably supported in said orifice; a lid structure comprising an eye mounted on said pintle at one side of said pintle support, a main pintle retainer adjacent the outer end of said eye fixed against movement relative to said eye and extending across the adjacent end of said pintle when said eye is in operative position to prevent disassemblage of said pintle through said outer end, said eye being enlarged opposite said retainer to permit said eye to be moved relative to said pintle to an inoperative position to move said retainer away from said end of said pintle whereby said pintle may be disassembled from said box and assembled therewith through said outer end, auxiliary pintle retainer at said outer end of said eye adapted to be bent, when said pintle is assembled, to cross said end of said pintle in both said positions of said eye, and to be bent away from said end of said pintle when said pintle is to be disassembled, and another eye mounted on said pintle at the other side of said pintle support; and means preventing the disassemblage of saidpintle from the outer end of said other eye.

3. A journal box comprising a pintle support provided with an orifice; a pintle slidably supported in said orifice; a lid structure comprising a pressed lid having an. integral loop mounted on said pintle at. one side of said pintle support, a fixed main pintle retainer integral with, bent inwardly from, and welded to, said loop at the bottom of the outer end thereof, extending across the adjacent end of saidpintle when said loop is in operative position to prevent disassemblageof said pintle through said outer end, said loop being enlarged opposite said retainer to permit said loop to be mounted'relative tosaid pintle to an inoperative position to move said retainer away from said end of said pintle whereby said pintle may be disassembled from said box and assembled therewith through said outer end, a bendable auxiliary pintle retainer integral with said loop at the top of said outer end thereof adapted to be bent inwardly, when said pintle is assembled.

to cross said end of said pintle, in both said posi-' tions of said loop, and adapted to bebent awayfrom said end of said pintle when said pintle is to be disassembled, said main pintle retainer being disposed nearer to said end of said pintle by the journal box, at least one of said loopsv being enlarged to provide a cross section greater than the cross section of said pintle end portion upon which it is mounted, whereby said enlarged loop may be moved to operative and inoperative positions relative to said pintle; a main pintle retainer fixedly secured at the outer end of said enlarged loop positioned to obstruct the adjacent end of said pintle when said enlarged loop is in operative position and to'be free from obstructing said end of said pintle when said enlarged loop is in inoperative-position; and a bendable auxiliary pintle retainer secured at said outer end of said'enlarged loop adapted to be bent inwardly to obstruct said end of said pintle when said enlarged loop is in either of said positions, and'to be bent outwardly to be free from obstructing said end of said pintle when said enlarged loop is in said inoperative position.

5. The combination of a journal box; an oria ficed pintle support carried by said box; a pintle extending through said orifice and having a sliding fit with the wall thereof; and a.journal box having an eye mounted on an end portion of said pintle at one side of said pintle support, a main pintle retainer, and an auxuliary pintle retainer, each of said retainers being secured to said eye at the outer end thereof, said pintle being movable in a pathaxially thereof through the outer end of said eye'to and from its position in said orifice, said main retainer, when said eye is in normal position being disposed across said axial path, said eye, at the side thereof opposite is sufficiently moved transversely from its normal position, said auxiliary retainer being bendable to activeand inactive positions, when in active position crossing said axial path at any transverse position of said eye and when in inactive position being free from said axial path, and

another eye mounted on said pintle at the other side of said pintle support.

6. The combination of a journal box; an orificed pintle support carried by said box; a pintle extending through said orifice and-having a sliding fit with the wall thereof; and ajournal box lid having an eye mounted on an end portion of said pintle at one side of said pintle support, a

main pintle retainer, and an auxiliary pintle retainer, each of said retainers being secured to said eye at the outer end thereof, said pintle being movable in a path axially thereof through the outer end of said eye to and from its position in said orifice, said main retainer, when said eye is in normal position being disposed across said axial path, said eye, at the side thereof opposite,

said main retainer being normally spaced from said pintle adapting said eye to be transversely moved relative to said pintle to and from its said normal position, and said .main retainer being free from said axial path when said eye is sufficiently moved transversely from its normal position, said auxiliary retainer being bendable to active and inactive positions, when in active position spanning said space sufficiently to prevent axial displacement of said pintle when said eye has moved transversely from its said normal position to an extent to free said main retainer, and

when in inactive position being free from said axial path, and another eye mounted on said pintle at the other side of said pintle support.

' THEODORE R. WEBER. 

